Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar on the biggest stage in football – one last dance, but who comes out on top? If this is indeed goodbye to all of them, the world will hope it’s the ultimate swansong that befits the end of a truly remarkable era like no other.
Records have been broken, peaks have been scaled, comparisons have been made, but more importantly, memories that could last a lifetime were delivered. But that does not mean there is no weight on their shoulders.
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Cristiano Ronaldo is 41, in a rage against time, defying logic and hungrier than ever to get his hands on that trophy for the first time ever.
Lionel Messi climbed to the summit of football after finding success in Qatar, but he intends to stay there, and several forces, old and new, are vying to see him and Argentina fall.
And then there is Neymar, always in a world of his own, the prince who never became king? Perennially battling against his body, but never giving up.
The world wants to see all of them bow out in style. But this game comes with a cost. We’ve seen it before, and we’ll see it again. So, who will rule the roost in north America this summer?
This writer does not intend to downplay any of these players’ quality. The following is an opinion piece and does not necessarily reflect the thoughts of everyone involved at Sportskeeda.
#3 Neymar
Where do I even begin? The fact that Neymar is simply going to the World Cup is something worth celebrating in itself. But then he got injured before the tournament and is now expected to miss Brazil’s opening game against Morocco.
There is no doubt that Neymar is a shadow of the player he once was. He’s 34, plagued by injuries and has not played for Brazil since 2023. Carlo Ancelotti decided to pick Neymar ahead of the likes of Joao Pedro and Richarlison, which is a massive gamble.
On his day, Neymar can be unplayable. But it’s just that those days have been few and far between in recent times. Brazil have not won the tournament since 2002 and have failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals in four of the five World Cups since then.
This is a tournament where they need to improve on that record. But where does Neymar fit in? Is he ready to lead the team on the pitch for 90 minutes? What knock-on effect do these injuries have on him? At this moment in time, there are more questions than answers.
For the love of the game, you would want Neymar to do well at the World Cup. But from a rational point of view, you just can’t help but admit that he may not be as influential as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
#2 Lionel Messi
The Messiah returns. Lionel Messi has nothing to prove to anyone. The evidence is there in front of us. Aged 35, the Argentine rose to the peak of his powers to help his nation end a 36-year-long wait to lift the World Cup back in 2022.
What drives him forward to produce a similar performance at the 2026 World Cup? Maybe the fact that he is still one of the greatest footballers in the world is enough. But only he knows!
Lionel Messi holds a unique advantage over Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo though. He is best acclimatised to the conditions in the United States after having played for Inter Miami since 2023.
Argentina will hope his hamstring injury is not as serious as it looked during the game against Philadelphia Union. Lionel Messi is still their main man, the one player who can change a game on his own. There is also the exuberance of youth to support him in the form of Julian Alvarez and Nico Paz.
But only two teams have won the World Cup back-to-back and the last time it happened was 64 years ago. ‘Impact’ can surely be measured outside of winning the trophy, no doubt about it. However, he will be up against an arch-rival who is more than capable of overshadowing him this summer due to one good reason – hunger.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
When Argentina won the World Cup in 2022, the entire team played with the desire to help Lionel Messi win that trophy. The collective effort was there to see for all and Lionel Messi being the player he is, excelled and took home the ‘Golden Ball’ award.
Now there are debates about whether Portugal are a better team without Cristiano Ronaldo in that line-up. But let’s admit it, this team will not leave him out of that starting eleven.
They believe he can provide the goals they need. There is also no debate on the fact that this is arguably the strongest Portugal team to have assembled alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at a World Cup. It all feels perfectly set up for Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal to shine.
Football is never won on paper. And a tournament like the FIFA World Cup always produces a twist that no one sees coming. We saw Cristiano Ronaldo being reduced to tears after Portugal’s exit to Morocco at the last World Cup. Nothing is a foregone conclusion in this sport, never.
But what is certain here is the fact that this Portugal team will turn up with the same desire Argentina had in Qatar. They want this to be the crowning moment for their greatest ever footballer. That desire can do wonders, we’ve seen it.
Maybe the GOAT debate does not have to have a clear winner. Maybe it isn’t about who is better. Maybe this World Cup will be the ultimate equaliser in the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi story. To each, its own!
Edited by Nived Zenith